Arducopter 2.8.1 is now in the mission planner and in the downloads area! Remember to do your MP configuration again after loading this code, since it erases your EEPROM and sets it to the new defaults.
Note: Issues with APM1 user's level feature not working are now resolved. If you installed 2.8 we highly recommend you upgrade to 2.8.1 as 430 extra bytes of RAM have been freed up which reduces the chance of memory corruption (although we haven't seen any cases of this on the APM2 at least) .
Note #2: this release has not gone out for Traditional Helicopters until they can be tested fully. Flip and Toy mode have also not been fully tested.
Improvements over 2.7.3:
- Improved ACRO mode (Leonard Hall)
- Improved stability patch to reduce "climb-on-yaw" problem (Leonard, Rob Lefebvre, Randy)
- Rate controller targets moved to body frames (yaw control now works properly when copter is inverted) (Leonard/Randy)
- Less bouncy Stabilize yaw control (Leonard)
- OpticalFlow sensor support for APM2.5 (Randy)
- DMP works again by adding "#define DMP_ENABLED ENABLED" to APM_Config.h You can also log DMP vs DCM to the dataflash by adding "#define SECONDARY_DMP_ENABLED ENABLED" (Randy)
- Watch dog added to shutdown motors if main loop feezes for 2 seconds (Randy)
- Thrust curve added to linearize pwm->thrust. Removes deadzone found above 90% throttle in most ESC/motors (Randy)
- More timing improvements (main loop is now tied to MPU6000s interrupt) (Randy)
- GPS NMEA bug fix (Alexey Kozin)
- Logging improvements (log I terms, dump all settings at head of dataflash log) (Jason)
Bug Fixes / Parameter changes:
- fixed skipping of last waypoint (Jason)
- resolved twitching when no GPS attached (Tridge)
- fixed loss of altitude if alt hold is engaged before first GPS lock (Randy/Jason)
- moved Roll-Pitch I terms from Stabilize controllers to Rate controllers
- TILT_COMPENSATION param tuned for TradHeli (Rob)
Code Cleanup:
- HAL changes for platform portability (Pat Hickey)
- Removed INSTANT_PWM (Randy)
As per usual PIDs are optimised for the 3DR/jDrones quad with 850 motors and 10" props. If you're using more powerful motors/props and are seeing bad flight behaviour in stabilize, start by turning down Rate Roll P in 25% steps.
Please note that on this release we've moved the Roll and Pitch I terms from the Stabilize controller to the Rate controller. There's some evidence that says this can lead to flips on take-off if you move the roll or pitch sticks around as you take-off so we recommend you leave these sticks in the middle until you're in the air.
Please feel free to report issues you find in the discussion below and/or add them to the issues list.
Thanks and enjoy!
Replies
at 1:07 I can hear a "motor spike" that seems similar to my problem, I'm posting a short 6 seconds clip I made today while testing a mount for my camera. Should I worry ?
I was at the edge of my seat when Marco brought out the scissors in that video. Who knew that the code knew how to deal with sudden CG shifts so well! I'm not sure what that test is called, but we'll have to code it into the autotest facility now ;-)
By the way, why are there those twitches when using the Mediatec Gps on APM2 during loiter mode? Loiter is more accurate, but the "spastic" movement is not nice.
Good job, developes!
Jonathan
(sorry if the following belongs in a thread of its own, but I think it's related closely enough considering many times a firmware update alters the way he following subject operates nonetheless; forgive me...)
P.s. - as I've been out of commission for a little while now, can anybody report whether and/or how (details, please) to get the CopterLEDS working in such a way that that performs on par with U4eakes implementation for APM1. Sorry that I'm omitting th other genius entities that contributed their IP to make these cool lighting effects a possibility to begin with, I'm just tired right nie so don't have th energy to add their credits to what I'm praising. Additionally, it may be the case that these functions are, in fact, operating as designed at the moment, but it's just that last attempt I gave toward it n my APM 2 turned up simple frustration. maybe all that's needed I'd a proper walk through.
I'm a bit of the topic here, but I was wondering if someone else experienced the same errors when trying to compile the zip code through Arduino0022 relaxpatch?
AP_Baro.cpp: In member function 'float Ap_Baro::get_altitude()':
AP_Baro.cpp:91: error: 'log' was not declared in this scope
WOW! WOW! WOW! But a bug found....
What a difference this makes! Had to change Rate P down from 0.175 to 0.12 and increase Rate I from 0.01 to 0.1. Alt Hold rate down to 0.27. 3200gr Octa with jDrones 880kV motors and 11x4.7 APC props. Crisp, stable, Loiter incredible! RTL with Autoland to within 0.5 meters! Start descent fast and slows down quickly to very gentle landing. I'm a very, very, very happy camper. A great thank you to all developers and testers!
However, I did find a problem, which also probably also caused my loiter problem in 2.7.3.:
When I set up RTL approach altitude to 0 and did a 'write' using the 'Standard Parameters' (I did this outside on my laptop using the following screen), I received an error when trying to write the 'Battery Current and Voltage Sensing pin'.
These fields are empty. Flying after this error caused weird behavior, one of them being that the loiter only did wide circle and simple mode completely lost track of what 'simple' really meant. It was not so simple anymore! After this I reset the APM, uploaded a clean 2.8 and voila, problem solved all back to normal. So I wrote the '0' approach altitude via the advanced parameter list screen and no problems!
However.... on my desktop the standard parameter screen looks different! Same version of Misson planner. Any ideas why?
Update: when I did an 'Help -> Check for Updates' in APM, these two battery volts/current pin fields also appeared. However, the software version remained the same!
Strange sonar behavior.
I just uploaded 2.8 using APM1 and did a cli level. While at it, I tested the sonar and it shows a value of 675 on the ground. When lifting up the Octo, it goes back to showing normal (correct) values. It did not do this in 2.7.3.
When the sonar value gets below 21 it jumps to 675. In 2.7.3 it would stick with showing a value of 20.
Waiting for batteries to finish charging. Can't wait to fly!!!!
Would someone post the default PIDS for this release please, I've just destroyed my settings and can't tell what is default now.
I've put some more lounge flying in, still pleased, bit of throttle tuning still required, but it's flying like a dream.
My only gripe so far is the auto-level, I've not had my ardu in the air for a few revisions so not sure if its a common or unique problem, but the auto level is scary, over correction and suddenly making a run for it - albeit on a small scale, i could keep it away from the walls but only just sometimes. It seems to be quickly adding in more than i ask for whereas it used to seem to add in about 25%, so 4 dabs left roll would normally get me level, now that would send me almost upside down.
Or is it just me....
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